page 7 of 11

Picture this. An all-inclusive fete, three weeks before the reign of the Merry Monarch. The crowd, restless after an energetic set from Imij and Co., is eagerly waiting for Atlantik to set up, and Destra to make her highly anticipated appearance. To soothe the masses, the DJ strikes up and the call goes out to all headbangers. Yes, headbangers!

Aerosmith's "Janie's Got A Gun", Queen's "We Will Rock You" and Human League's "Don't You Want Me Baby", aren't exactly the type of songs one expects to hear at a Carnival fete.

But this was no ordinary party, it was Presentation College and The Rotary Club of Chaguanas' third annual Carnival All-Inclusive, "A Premier Carnival Night in White", at Presentation College, Chaguanas, where the emphasis was on treating patrons to an unforgettable experience. That was clear from the set-up. At the entrance, costumed beauties offered complimentary Asti wine. The walkway was adorned with white curtains at intervals, models in Trini Reveller's costumes posed with partygoers for pictures, a full tassa rhythm section was jamming and flame spitting blue devils did a good job of scaring the bejesus out of some.

And for an all-inclusive that was well below the going rate of others, the variety of food was impressive. Bake and shark, the fete staple, was of course available with the most delicious chutneys; buss up shot and curry chicken and the sumptuous curry duck; Chinese food; geera pork and chicken; pholourie and doubles, all had patrons' appetites sated. The bar, which was stocked with premium drinks, was certainly popular with those looking for the perfect beverage with which to wet their throats.

The music too was enjoyable. Imij and Co. had the arduous task of warming up the crowd but when Ghetto Flex launched into his 1991 Chutney hit "Golo" (popularly referred to by most as "Bolo"), the crowd woke up. They also enjoyed some of the back in time tunes such as "Ethel", "Johnny", "Rebecca" and "Nani Wine". Radio Masala DJ, Big Rich, kept the crowd on its toes between sets, catering to every taste with his range of genres.

By the time Destra & Atlantik hit the stage, bandanas and balloons were distributed and everybody was ready to wave to her hits "Las Lap" and "I Dare You". Not to be outdone by the first band, the soca queen also lit up the crowd with her chutney hits "Aur Chale" and "Come Beta", and took it a step further by getting members of the crowd to demonstrate their chutney wines on stage.

The handsome men of Dil-E-Nadan closed off the party, eliciting loud screams from the females as they proceeded from their dressing rooms to the stage. In all, it was an enjoyable party, one that patrons will no doubt look forward to next year.

Laura Dowrich-Phillips for TJJ